Birth-control implants may work longer than predicted

Birth-control implants may work longer than predicted


Women who know they won’t be interested in having children for several years can select contraceptive implants to provide consistent, hands-off birth control for an extended period of time.

Be it an intrauterine device or a tiny plastic contraceptive rod inserted under the skin, these birth control devices are promoted as being effective for several years, with the exact time frame varying according to the tool.

But new research shows that some of these implants may affect women’s fertility for longer than advertised if they are not removed.

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis studied the contraceptive implants and found that some of the devices actually seem to work for a year beyond their specified time frame. The scientists specifically studied the rates of pregnancy among women who had used a hormone-emitting intrauterine device or an implantable contraceptive rod beyond their advertised expiration dates.

Among nearly 300 women, only one pregnancy was recorded during the year following the devices’ expiration dates.

The extended duration of set-it-and-forget-it contraception is a concept some women will embrace. Especially for young women or those whose health depends on avoiding pregnancy, contraceptive implants can be extremely convenient.

The study authors say the news is good for women who want continued protection also because they won’t need to replace the implant as frequently. That means less overall risk of problems that can occur during embedding.

Manufacturers of the devices still state that they should be removed at the end of the advertised time period. And of course, women who want to get pregnant should have the device removed.

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